About Us!

The Children’s Safety Village (CSV) in Belleville, Ontario, was established in 2004 as the first permanent safety village in Eastern Ontario. Its mission is to provide immersive, hands-on safety education to children and youth through a miniature town designed to simulate real-world environments. The initiative was spearheaded by then Deputy Police Chief Brian Harder, who collaborated with Jake Nelson of the Quinte Home Builders Association.

The Village itself is a child-sized replica of a community, featuring scaled-down streets, traffic signals, road signs, and buildings such as a city hall, fire hall, train station, and various businesses. It includes functioning traffic lights, railway crossing arms, and a phone booth for practicing 911 calls—offering a realistic yet controlled environment for safety learning.

CSV offers a wide range of age-appropriate safety programs that evolve with current trends and technology. Delivered in partnership with public safety professionals, the programs cover pedestrian, bicycle, electrical, animal, internet, rail, home, and personal safety. Activities build trust between children and first responders while teaching practical safety skills.

Operating under the principle “Involve me and I will understand,” the Village emphasizes experiential learning to help children truly grasp safety concepts. As of late 2024, CSV is pursuing a major expansion to a new, larger location at Clifford Sonny Belch Park and just appointed a new Executive Director. 

Board of Directors & Staff

At the Children’s Safety Village, our strength lies in the dedication and passion of the people behind the scenes. Together, our Board of Directors and staff work to deliver engaging, educational, and safe programming that empowers children with lifelong safety skills.

Strategic Plan 2026-2029